Javon Small’s grandfather is officially a viral star thanks to the wholesome content that he provided at this year’s NBA Draft.
The former West Virginia star Small was selected during the second round of the draft on Thursday. Small went with the No. 48 overall pick to the Memphis Grizzlies (who also picked up Cedric Coward at No. 11 overall and Jahmai Mashack at No. 59 overall).
After getting drafted, Small was interviewed on ESPN by Monica McNutt. During the interview, the broadcast cut to a shot of Small’s grandfather and his extremely emotional reaction to his grandson making the NBA.
Small’s grandfather was in visible tears and yelled out “My boy!” multiple times to show how very proud he was of his grandson. Here is the awesome video.
Javon Small’s grandfather after Javon was drafted.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 27, 2025
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
pic.twitter.com/PtMTOK8LAY
It is immensely difficult to make it to the NBA, and doing so is an achievement that often serves as the culmination of an entire family’s years and decades worth of hard work, love, and sacrifice. That much was fully on display with the raw human emotion shown by Small’s grandfather there.
Small, a versatile 6-foot-3 guard, averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game as a senior last year for West Virginia en route to First Team All-Big 12 honors. Now he will be getting the chance to compete in a newly-revamped backcourt for the Grizzlies, and Small’s family will be there with him every step of the way.
